


Rin

by annapotterkiku



Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe - 19th Century, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Gen, Kidnapping, M/M, Sirens, hey look whos being pure garbage for 19th century fantasy au and self indulgent fics, i havent studied for bio pleas kill me, this mofo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-25
Updated: 2018-10-25
Packaged: 2019-08-07 07:39:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,383
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16404131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/annapotterkiku/pseuds/annapotterkiku
Summary: "It was a funny story, how he came to meet this creature."





	Rin

**Author's Note:**

> look whos back with another shameless self indulging oneshot lmao. this was for school a while ago, but ofc i wrote it with my boys in mind. im honestly such a slut for 19th century fantasy au, hence the style lol. anw please enjoy and pray for my bio exam tomorrow rip

“Settle down, won’t you,” scolded Kisumi, tapping his pen on the tank, and the siren lunged toward his fingers with a vicious bite from the other side of the glass. Upon seeing that it did not successfully chomp off its captor’s hand, the monster swam up to the water surface and expressed its fury with another deafening screech. The sea water in its confinement was sent flying everywhere, angry droplets landing on Kisumi's pink curls and yellowed papers like a summer spray.

Chuckling in amusement, Kisumi continued to write down his observations. _Possibly a young of its kind._

It was a funny story, how he came to meet this creature. Kisumi was not a marine biologist nor a scientist, but a professor of politics in the city. He was on a summer vacation to the area, expecting sunshine and fresh air, when he had the idea of rowing to the rumored cursed island alone for an adventure. ‘The Silent Isle,’ they called it, since no man had reached the place and come back to tell the tale. Now, Kisumi was not one to fall for rumors, especially those started and spread in a tiny village outside of Iwatobi, but there was something in the heaviness of the locals’ hushed whispers that had him renting a boat and venturing into the open sea.

Turned out he was not disappointed. Halfway through the ominous-looking water, Kisumi caught a glimpse of the siren’s silhouette circling his boat, and soon enough there was singing. However, it seemed that the creature had no idea how terrible of a job it was doing, for its voice was loud and scratchy like a schoolboy going through puberty. The professor, initially, was going to ignore the siren and its pathetic attempt to lure him into his death; his goal was to reach the green land ahead, after all. Still, the monster kept approaching his boat, oblivious to the fact that its supposed victim was not at all mesmerized. And again, Kisumi abandoned his half-cooked plans to chase after a newly-found curiosity.

It took him quite a struggle to bring the creature back to shore - like a schoolboy, it was strong and obstinate, and the man himself was approaching his 30s, much to his horror. How he could sneak the siren into his rented room on the second floor without his landlord noticing, Kisumi did not know. But he went and did it anyway, quite successfully even, and now he got a furious siren in his room.

At first Kisumi was not sure what to do with the creature. He did not have the need to study it, and his catching it was but a whim. But after a day of holding it in the bathtub, the professor quickly grew fond of it. The siren was stubbornly trying to appear dangerous (and in truth, with its claws and pointy teeth it had its reason to believe so), hissing whenever Kisumi came near and splashing water all over, although the lack of sea water and the confined space of the tiny tub were visibly draining it out.

By the end of the third day, however, luck stroke both the professor and his little monster when he was wandering around the village’s flea market nearby. A circus was moving through the area, selling a suspiciously large glass tank, still stained of mildew and reeked of salt water. Through a friendly chat, Kisumi purchased the tank and some useful knowledge of merfolk care with the price of a silver coin instead of two. That night, the creature was swimming around and sneering at him again.

The creature had quite a temper, and it was not hesitant to let it show. Within the first 24 hours after regaining its strength, the siren had made no less than five attempts to escape, from pushing the tank toward the window to attacking Kisumi when he was filling up the sea water for it. Then, after realizing that there was truly no way out without the professor’s help, it started to howl the off-tune melodies every night, which only soured the professor’s mood, much less controlling him. In the morning the monster dipped around and observed Kisumi's every movement, waiting for when a limb of his was close enough to be bitten off.

Five days had passed since the siren’s unfortunate encounter with Kisumi, and the professor was genuinely impressed how no one had yet to knock on his door and ask about the constant piercing sound coming out of his room.

The siren suddenly let out a distressing sound, which Kisumi deciphered that it was time to stop the paperwork to have some fun with his monster. Putting down his pen the professor went to grab the pork leg he had just bought at the early market. The siren’s attention immediately shifted to the smell of pig’s blood, crimson pupils stretched wide as its gaze trailed after the raw meat, making its face even more boyish than usual. Swimming down to the tank corner where Kisumi was sitting, the siren pressed its nonexistent nose flat on the glass, the gills on its neck opening and closing more slowly as if it was taking in the umami odor in deep breaths. Its claws, too, seemed to be protruding from its fingertips.

With a raise of his eyebrow, Kisumi picked up his pen and wrote down what he saw. What a remarkable creature.

Seeing that its captor’s focus was not on it anymore, the siren let out a demanding hiss.

“You’re more of a cat than a siren, you know?” Kisumi snorted, his attention back on the tank. The professor slowly started to wave the pig’s leg from side to side in front of the creature’s face. As if hypnotized, the siren’s body swayed to the movements, its gaze locked on the bloody meat. The professor stopped his motion, and the siren followed suit. Its eyes were perfectly fixed on its meal, so intently that it did not even react when Kisumi put his other palm on the tank surface to stroke its youthful cheek.

The creature was majestic - full, slightly opened lips and marble-like eyes that could match any celestial being. Its upper half resembled a robust teenage boy, untamed strands of fire soft and flowing despite the still water, pale skin glistening in the sunlight. Decorated its collarbones and wrists were... trinkets, of sorts - bracelets and necklaces made of colorful shells and algae and all the knickknacks that the humans had dropped into the ocean. The toned abdomen ended with a fishtail of what looks like a grey shark's, long and lean (Kisumi let his mind indulge for a moment the image of the legs this siren could possess). Every inch of its body was polished and perfect - every inch where the various vicious scars did not touch, that was.

Still... Even with the nonhuman features it was strangely captivating, like a painting from beyond the mundane world, turning heads with its every curve and edge. It was hard to believe that behind the unadulterated naivete in its countenance was the swift strike of death lying in wait.

So Kisumi's urge beat his rationality once more.

"Rin," he whispered, the name rolling out of his tongue like silk, almost too softly to become a coherent sound, but that was enough for the siren to snap back into vigilance. Its snare sent Kisumi flying across the room, but he laughed, nonetheless, upon seeing the creature's victorious smirk.

Remarkable, indeed.

With a sigh, the professor threw the pig’s leg into the tank. The siren was beautiful, but it was not his. Soon he would have to leave it for the human schoolboys and their battle roars in their fistfights and their makeshift duels. Soon he would have to leave his monster for the deep blue sea where it belonged, for the hunting trips that were in its blood, and for the poor souls that would have crossed it someday. Soon his memories of the siren would quickly fade into a blurry mixture of sharp eyes, soft mouth, and stubborn cries that echo through the darkest nights.

The pork disappeared like it was never there, and the siren whipped his glance back to Kisumi. From its throat, a wary growl escaped.


End file.
